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Supporters of ex-PM have voiced fury at ‘vindictive’ privileges committee’s finding that Johnson deliberately misled parliamentSupporters of Boris Johnson have pledged to target both Conservative members of the privileges committee and Tory MPs who endorse its findings for deselection, as the aftermath of the report prompted vicious internal infighting.One ally of the former prime minister said they expected Bernard Jenkin, the most senior Tory on the committee, which said Johnson misled parliament in denying any lockdown-breaking parties, could be a particular focus in his Harwich and North Essex seat. Continue reading...

David Alexander of UCL says new framework merely ‘an attempt to tinker with the system’Experts in national disaster preparedness have warned that the UK’s post-pandemic resilience plan requires “wholesale, radical rewriting” and said the government was failing to keep the public sufficiently safe.Bruce Mann, former director of the Cabinet Office civil contingencies secretariat, told the Covid-19 public inquiry that changes called for in the new framework, published by Rishi Sunak’s government in December 2022, were “too slow” and it was “almost silent on resourcing”. Continue reading...

Long-awaited privileges committee report finds former PM was ‘deliberately disingenuous’ about Partygate events

Move follows months of debate in Washington, as Ukraine reports success in its counteroffensive

California-based Saddleback megachurch and Fern Creek Baptist church, a smaller congregation in Kentucky, were both expelledThe US Southern Baptist Convention voted to uphold the expulsion of two churches due to their having female pastors.On Wednesday at the annual SBC conference in New Orleans, representatives also known as “messengers” upheld an executive committee decision to expel the California-based Saddleback megachurch and Fern Creek Baptist church, a smaller congregation in Kentucky. Continue reading...

A brief breakdown of the report that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled parliament while he was PM

Grey-faced officer pleaded his innocence after anti-corruption police allegedly caught him in the act of extorting businessmanA Colombian police officer has been admitted to hospital after swallowing a wad of banknotes he extorted from a businessman.The officer had demanded payments in return for not arresting his victim on trumped-up charges – but did not know that the businessman had already reported the shakedown to Colombia’s anti-kidnapping and extortion unit. Continue reading...

People in sports car were taking part in challenge to spend 50 hours in vehicle, according to reportsYouTubers driving a Lamborghini while filming a video crashed into a family car in Rome, killing a five-year-old boy and injuring his mother and sister, Italian media have reported.Three of the five people in the sports car belonged to a group called “TheBorderline”. Continue reading...

Gallery of Modern Art show includes original artefacts, ephemera and stencils used to create famous worksA new solo exhibition by Banksy – the graffiti artist’s first in 14 years – will reveal the stencils used to create many of his most famous works for the first time.Cut & Run, which opens at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) this weekend, has been officially authorised by the elusive street artist. Spanning from 1998 to the present day, it includes original artefacts, ephemera and the artist’s actual toilet. Continue reading...

Central Mediterranean migration route grows ever more perilous amid bickering and division over creating safe passagesThe feared deaths of as many as 500 people in the sinking of an overcrowded fishing boat off southern Greece have once more thrown a spotlight on the world’s deadliest migratory route – and Europe’s failure to tackle one of its greatest challenges.Since the International Organization for Migration (IoM) launched its missing migrants project in 2014, an estimated 27,000 people trying to reach Europe have been recorded as dead or disappeared while crossing the Mediterranean. Continue reading...

Australian consular officials will attend the opening of Badiucao’s show in Poland after Chinese ambassador demanded it be closed down

As country considers ‘right to be forgotten’, firm says it would be more effective to create legal obligations for sites hosting information

Eastern suburbs mayor criticises incentives for large developments involving 15% affordable housing

The 1.9% increase to a total of 26.3m is down to more overseas students and temporary workers, but experts say the rise will flatten outAustralia’s population grew at its fastest rate in more than 13 years in 2022, in part due to a post-pandemic migration boom.But while the figures are significant, demographer Dr Elin Charles-Edwards warned that a large portion of the migrants were only in Australia temporarily to address critical labour shortages and the numbers would fall over the coming years. Continue reading...

Women, aged 21 and 22, had met the suspect for the first time shortly beforehandOne of two female tourists attacked by a man near Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany has died, local media has reported, citing state prosecutors.The 21-year-old woman, who has not been identified, died in a hospital overnight, while her 22-year-old companion was still in hospital with serious injuries, the BR public broadcaster reported. Continue reading...

Carla Scott sentenced to 27 years for manslaughter and Dirk Howell jailed for at least 32 years for boy’s murderA mother has been jailed for 27 years for the manslaughter of her nine-year-old son, Alfie Steele, who was repeatedly beaten and held down in a cold bath, and her partner has been ordered to serve at least 32 years in prison for the boy’s murder.Alfie died on 18 February 2021 after being found with 50 injuries all over his body. He was hit with a leather belt and “dunked” in the bath at his home in Droitwich, Worcestershire. Continue reading...

Former PM to be questioned on Monday, with George Osborne, Jeremy Hunt and Oliver Dowden also slated to give evidence

‘Epic and deeply personal’ Nye by Tim Price will star Michael Sheen and be directed by Rufus NorrisA play charting the life of Nye Bevan and his battle to create the NHS is among 12 new productions that have been announced by the National Theatre.Nye, by Tim Price, was described by the National as a “Welsh fantasia [that] is both epic and deeply personal”. It will star Michael Sheen and be directed by Rufus Norris, the National’s artistic director who’s stepping down in 2025. Continue reading...

Board says it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public for Pitchfork, 63, to remain in jailThe double child killer Colin Pitchfork can be released from prison subject to conditions, the Parole Board has said.The decision, 18 months after Pitchfork was recalled to prison for “concerning behaviour”, could be opposed by the justice minister, Alex Chalk. Continue reading...

Information about mid-contract price increases must be made clear and upfront to consumers, says CAPBroadband and mobile phone companies are to be banned from advertising “misleading” fixed-price contracts that fail to warn consumers that they face hefty mid-contract price increases.Over the past year, telecoms providers have been surprising customers by imposing inflation-exceeding rises on their broadband and mobile phone payments mid-contract. Continue reading...

Absence of unified Libyan national government leaves Europe lacking effective allies to tackle people-smuggling tradeThe mass drowning of refugees heading from Libya for Italy as their large boat capsized off the coast of Greece underlines Libya’s continuing power vacuum and the inability of its divided leaders to deliver on their promises to stem the profitable people-smuggling trade. It is striking that the ship sailed from the eastern port of Tobruk, a city where local leaders have mounted a campaign against illegal migration.On 4 May, the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, granted Libya’s strongman in the east, Khalifa Haftar, a meeting in Rome at which she offered to invest in Libya’s east – the country has been divided into a rival east and west since 2015 – in return for action on the smugglers. Continue reading...

Director says past eight years ‘most challenging time in history’ for sector, but audience figures finally back at pre-pandemic levelsRufus Norris is to step down as director of the National Theatre after steering the flagship arts institution through the challenges of the Covid pandemic and responding to the climate crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement.Norris, the NT’s artistic director and chief executive, said that spring 2025, when he would have been in post for 10 years, was the “absolutely natural point” to move on. He said he had “no plans” for the future. Continue reading...

How Boris Johnson was found to have misled MPs and why report recommended a 90-day suspension from parliament

Independent Sydney MP filed defamation action against fellow NSW MP Mark Latham over a tweet and subsequent comments

Political chaos leaves prime minister in weakened position as he pursues controversial changesA rebellion by members of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in an important vote related to controversial judicial changes has dealt the longtime leader a political setback, bringing divisions in his coalition to the fore and scuppering compromise talks with the opposition.The Knesset was expected on Wednesday to elect two political representatives to the country’s nine-member judicial selection committee, one of the key issues in the six-month-old debate over the nature of Israeli democracy, and a vote widely viewed as a referendum on the overhaul’s future. Continue reading...

Chief inspector of immigration says there is ‘real danger’ that inhumane and dangerous conditions will return at Kent facilitySuella Braverman is facing the “real danger” that conditions for asylum seekers held at Manston processing facility will once again become inhumane and dangerous, the immigration watchdog has found.David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, said the Kent asylum centre, which became overcrowded and disease-ridden last year, could again become overwhelmed because ministers and officials in the Home Office were unable to say where they planned to house at least 55,000 people arriving by small boats this year. Continue reading...

Her singular passion lit up performances from Women in Love to King Lear and drove her 23-year middle career as an MPGlenda Jackson has died at the age of 87 after “a brief illness” at her home in London.In a statement, her agent, Lionel Larner, said: “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London, this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: As Iraq steps up transfers from al-Hawl, speaking to returnees raises questions over a process mired in complexitiesThe Iraqi government plans to accelerate the repatriation of its nationals with confirmed or suspected ties to Islamic State (IS) from north-east Syria, in a politically charged process that has ignited a struggle for power and money while highlighting the challenges of reintegrating a partly radicalised population.After months of deadlock, about 650 civilians, mostly women and children, were transferred last week from Syria’s notorious al-Hawl camp to a closed facility in northern Iraq called Jeddah-1, where they will spend several months before they are allowed to leave. Though they have not committed crimes, many have relatives who joined the terrorist group and have for years been exposed to extremist ideology. Continue reading...

Boys, aged 15 and 16, charged over fatal stabbing of aspiring rapper at house party on Saturday nightTwo teenage boys have been charged with the murder of 16-year-old Mikey Roynon, who was fatally stabbed during a house party in a suburb of Bath.Detectives from Avon and Somerset’s major crime investigation team said they had charged a 15-year-old boy from Dorset and a 16-year-old boy from Wiltshire with murder and possessing an offensive weapon. Continue reading...

Centre-right group fail to win enough support to defeat proposals after knife-edge votingThe EU’s flagship environment law to restore biodiversity on land and rivers is hanging by a thread after a rebellion mounted by a centre-right group of MEPs failed to block the proposed legislation from going to the next stage in the parliamentary process.In a dead heat, 44 MEPs voted in favour and 44 against the nature restoration law that was proposed last year as a fundamental part of the EU’s green deal. Continue reading...

Broadcaster to put out one national Sunday 7pm bulletin, with savings from cuts to fund transition to digital-first model

Photos shared on social media show students draping themselves over park benches or stairs in poses of dejectionAs millions of young people in China graduate from university this month, the traditional pictures of joyful students throwing their hats and gowns into the air have been replaced by photos of them lying on the ground or throwing their degree certificates into the bin.Some photos show students draping themselves over bridges or park benches in poses of dejection. In others, students lie face down on stairs or in grassy fields. Continue reading...

Senator hits back at move which Peter Dutton said was not a ‘judgment on the veracity of allegations or any individual’s guilt or innocence’

David Crisafulli promises real-time health data and housing fund changes in budget reply

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With some signs of poll fatigue, the yes campaign will have to work hard and hope an appeal to the heart is enough to get it over the line

Cross-party committee says ex-PM would have faced 90-day suspension had he not quit in rage at findings last week

Hundreds more feared missing from overcrowded fishing vessel that reportedly sailed from Libya for ItalyAt least 78 people have died and hundreds more are feared missing in the deadliest refugee shipwreck off Greece this year.The victims, nearly all of them men from Afghanistan and Pakistan, drowned when the large trawler they were travelling in capsized off the southern Peloponnese. Continue reading...

Founding pastor, who has pleaded not guilty, is on trial for not reporting his father’s confession to sexually abusing a young boy

Exclusive: Tufan Erginbilgiç prevented from seeing documents because he holds joint UK and Turkish citizenship

In today’s newsletter: Ahead of a new report on the government response to Channel crossings, today’s newsletter looks at the growing challenges the Royal National Lifeboat Institution faces

Deal signed last month gives US ‘exclusive use’ of parts of bases, as Palau PM says he has asked US to step up patrols after Chinese incursions into its watersThe US military can develop and operate out of bases in Papua New Guinea, according to a landmark security pact that is part of Washington’s efforts to outflank China in the Pacific.The full text of the deal was tabled in Papua New Guinea’s parliament on Wednesday evening and obtained by AFP, shedding light on details that have been closely guarded since the pact was signed in May. Continue reading...

Probyn said he was told by the ABC they ‘no longer need a political editor and they want to reinvest the money into social and digital reporting roles’

Proportion of women on boards of 585 FTSE all-share listed companies rises from 36% to 40%, data showsUK businesses have improved female representation on their boards, research shows, but two-fifths of FTSE 100 firms still do not have a woman in one of their top four executive roles.The proportion of women on the boards of the 585 FTSE all-share listed companies has risen over the past year from 36% to 40%, according to the analysis of Companies House data. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Comments about shadow education secretary revealed as lobby group steps up pushback against Labour plansThe body representing independent schools in the UK has described the shadow education secretary as “very chippy” in private messages, as it steps up its campaign against Labour’s plan to add VAT to school fees.A public access request to the Independent Schools Council about Bridget Phillipson revealed that officials said she “doesn’t know diddly” and suggested she should “appreciate the great good our sector does”. Continue reading...

More than 62% of fathers would take more time off after births if statutory pay rate was increased, poll findsAlmost a third of fathers took no paternity leave after the birth of their child, as a result of the UK’s “measly” paternity leave rights, according to research.Two decades after paternity leave rights were established, research suggests that the UK has fallen behind and now has the least generous entitlements in Europe. Continue reading...

Eight Royal Mail stamps featuring original artworks by Black British artists were commissionedA special collection of stamps has been issued to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean to the UK on the Empire Windrush.Eight Royal Mail stamps featuring original artworks by Black British artists were commissioned to celebrate the occasion, which will be revealed at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton on Thursday. Continue reading...

Huge increase in applications means officials are left with little time to read student statementsThe hours spent by students writing personal statements for UK university applications may be in vain, according to figures, showing that many are barely read by admissions officers.The ritual of applying for a place at university has for decades included a personal statement as part of the admissions process, with the applicant – and often their parents, teachers and even paid consultants – helping to craft an essay limited to 4,000 characters, approximately 600 words. Continue reading...

Employers expand workforces even as growth slows, surprising economists

Rosemary Penwarden said her letter telling oil executives a petroleum conference was off was satirical protest but was found guilty of forgery offencesA New Zealand climate activist who wrote to oil executives posing as a fossil fuel conference organiser and telling them their gathering was cancelled has been found guilty of forgery, and could face up to a decade in prison.Rosemary Penwarden, 64, who sent the letter to an oil company’s delegates argued it was a form of “satirical protest”, and said she was astonished by the outcome. Continue reading...